GOVERNMENT culture watchdog English Heritage has asked Liverpool City Council to put on hold controversial proposals to demolish the threatened Heap’s Rice Mill in the city’s Baltic area.

 Seychelles-based developers want to bulldoze the historic building to pave the way for a high-rise mixed development of apartments, retain and leisure.

But English Heritage says any decision on the mill's futiure should be delayed until after its inspectors have visited the site to determine if it should be spot listed or not.

It also says that plans for a 25-storey block of flats could also fall foul of World Heritage Site regulations.

Retired industrial chemist David Swift contacted English Heritage, as well as the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) to alert them about the rice mill plan.

Mr Swift has now received a reply from Henry Owen-John, head of International Advice at English Heritage.

Letter

In the letter, Mr Owen-John, an EH official familiar with Liverpool’s World Heritage Site, says: "Thank you for copying your letters to DCMS to me. I am sure that DCMS will reply to you as soon as they are able.

"I understand from my colleagues in Manchester that Graeme Ives (EH’s area officer) has advised the council that the Heap's Mill proposals should not be considered until the application to have the building listed has been considered, and that the 25 storey element of what is proposed is in conflict with the tall buildings element of the Supplementary Planning Document for the WHS.

"I will draw Heap's Mill to the attention of DCMS who may wish to consider notifying the World Heritage Centre of the proposed development.”

Although the rice mill is outside the World Heritage Site,  it falls within the buffer zone which means any schemes have to respect it.

Although Heap’s Rice Mill is older, by a few decades, than the Albert Dock complex, it is currently not listed on the heritage register. This month English Heritage is expected to decide whether the mill will be listed.  If it is declared to be a Grade II listed building it will considerably change the dynamics of the planning application.

Wayne Colquhoun, of Liverpool Preservation Trust, said: “The response to David Swift speaks for itself. I see it as a broadside to the council that we have to take our World Heritage Status seriously. The rice mill is an important building in Liverpool and deserves to be cherished and preserved.”

A spokesman for Liverpool City Council told Liverpool Confidential: "We have not yet got a date when the application will be coming before the Planning Committee. We are aware of what English Heritage has said and that will taken into account."

*A meeting today (July 24) at 6pm at  the Baltic Creative Café to discuss proposed developments in the area and the threat to the rice mill. It will be chaired by Dr Peter Brown of Merseyside Civic Society.